This cookies and cream dessert is great when you don't want to turn on the oven. It requires few ingredients, and the result is creamy and crunchy with the bits of cookies. The key is achieving enough structure without thickeners, just whipped cream and cream cheese, and my tips (after decades of baking), will help you make a fantastic dessert without gelatin.
It's the no-bake version of our popular Oreo cheesecake and can also be made ahead and frozen.
Cookies and cream cheesecake
Cheesecake and Oreos are a delicious combination. And though I'm partial to baked cheesecakes, options for hot weather season are always welcome. And I believe you can never have too many cheesecake recipes on your radar.
And this is one dessert everyone will agree on. Just watch people come back for seconds and ask you to make this no-bake cheesecake again.
As much as I like my baked Oreo cheesecake, this one is simpler to make during the Summer and even when on vacation, in kitchens that are not prepared for baking. Other no-bake options with these popular cookies are the chocolate Oreo truffles and the no-churn, very easy Oreo ice cream, both guaranteed crowd-pleasers!
Testing notes
Paula's baking tips that can make a difference.
Respect the temperatures of the ingredients: this is important.
Whipping cream to the right stage is crucial for structure and consistency. Underwhip it, and it will slightly flop when you cut it; overwhip it, and it will probably curdle before you're done.
Use an electric mixer: It makes the job easier, and it's the best way to whip the cream. You can do it with a hand whisk and a lot of arm power, but it's easier with electric beaters.
Respect chilling times so the cheesecake firms up well before cutting. If you take it out of the refrigerator before it's firm, it might flop when you cut it.
Ratios are important. The cream cheese and whipped cream are balanced enough to call it a cheesecake. And it does not need to be overwhelmed by the amount of chopped Oreos you add. Some people like a more noticeable cheesecake flavor (like me), and others like to pack as many chopped Oreos as they can. It's your call. More about it in the recipe card.
Should you bake or not the cookie crust? This is a no-bake dessert, so just chilling it makes sense, and it works. However, if you want a firmer crust, bake it for 10 minutes at 325°F (170°C), let it cool completely and then fill it.
Oreo flavors: Traditional cookies always work, but trying different ones is also a good idea. I love to use mint, peanut butter and dark chocolate. Cinnamon bun and lemon are also good variations when I can find them (I add a pinch of ground cinnamon or lemon zest to the filling to enhance the flavors). Or mix and match two different flavors.
Mini no-bake Oreo cheesecakes: it's a great idea for gatherings when you need to feed a larger crowd. Use the mini no-bake cheesecakes as a guide, substituting the graham crackers for Oreos and adding chopped ones to the filling. The yield will be larger.
Steps to make no-bake cheesecake
- Make sure the crumbs are well-ground so the base can be firmly pressed. You can simply chill it (for a 100% no-bake dessert), or bake it for 5 minutes to make it firmer.
- Make sure to use room-temperature cream cheese. Though we use an electric mixer, you should be able to stir and mix the filling ingredients by hand if necessary, and end up without lumps.
- Whipped sweet cream. Use an electric mixer until you get medium-firm peaks. Then change to a hand whisk and finish whipping it to firm peaks. It's hard to overwhip by hand, and you reduce the chance of curdling.
- Chop the cookies into quarters. Cut the pieces small, but large enough so that they don't get lost in the filling when you bite. Unless that's what you want, of course.
- Spread the filling carefully in the prepared pan. Since this cheesecake is only chilled, the form will not change. So if it's messy, it'll stay messy, and vice versa.
- Homemade whipped cream decoration. Pipe rosettes or other patterns along the edges and top with more cookies. You can also use a carton of Cool Whip for this part.
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No-Bake Oreo Cheesecake Recipe
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 10.5 ounces Oreo cookies with filling, about 24 regular cookies
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
For the cheesecake filling:
- 1 ½ cups heavy or heavy whipping cream, cold
- 24 ounces full-fat cream cheese, 3 packages, at room temperature
- ⅓ cup white granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 10 to 14 regular Oreo cookies, chopped, see Notes below
For the topping:
- ¾ cup whipped cream, homemade or purchased
- 3-4 regular Oreo cookies, cut in half, or 8 mini Oreos
Instructions
For the Oreo crust:
- Butter or spray (with baking spray) the bottom and sides of a 9-inch (24cm) round cake pan with a removable bottom. Optional: Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with aluminum foil, tuck it underneath the pan bottom, assemble the cake pan, then pull up the foil around the sides of the pan. This makes it a snap to unmold the cold cheesecake.
- Use a food processor to grind 10.5 ounces Oreo cookies with filling. It's a bit messy due to the filling.
- Melt 5 tablespoons unsalted butter in a medium bowl. Add the ground cookies to the butter and mix with a spoon until it's like wet sand. Or add the melted butter and mix it directly in the bowl of the food processor.
- Put the mixture in the prepared pan and press firmly onto the bottom. Refrigerate while making the filling. If baking it, do so for 10 minutes in a medium, 350°F (180°C), oven.
For the cream cheese filling:
- In a medium bowl, beat 1 ½ cups heavy or heavy whipping cream, cold, until medium peaks form when the beaters are lifted. The tip will fall, and the cream will have some consistency but not be firm. Don't overbeat it! You'll beat it again when you incorporate it with the cream cheese mixture.
- In a large bowl, beat 24 ounces full-fat cream cheese with ⅓ cup white granulated sugar until smooth. Add ⅓ cup powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and beat again until smooth and well integrated.
- Add half of the soft whipped cream to the cream cheese mixture and mix on low speed for 30 seconds.
- Add the rest of the soft whipped cream and mix on low speed until beginning to thicken. The peaks when you lift the beaters should be medium firm but with a slight drop.
- Add 10 to 14 regular Oreo cookies, chopped, and fold them in with a spatula until integrated. Don't overdo it; you want some chunks of cookies and speckled filling, but also be able to taste the cheesecake flavor.
- Pour the cheesecake filling into the prepared pan, smooth the top and refrigerate until firm, several hours.
- When ready to serve, remove the pan from the fridge at the last minute so it's cold. To remove the cheesecake from the pan, place it on the serving plate and decorate with ¾ cup whipped cream rosettes or mounds around the edges (using a piping bag is better but not exclusive and store-bought cream can be used and is easier to use directly from the can), marking 8 servings. Top with 3-4 regular Oreo cookies, halved, or 8 mini Oreos, whole. Oreo crumbs are another alternative to sprinkle over the top.
Martina says
Hi Paula, every time I need a new receipe I always come back to your page. I only learnt to bake a couple of yours ago and your receipes are so detailed that they give me confidence to try making them.
I made this cake for my birthday and it came out great! Everyone loved it and was surprised that I made it myself.
I used peanut butter oreos as I could not finde normal ones and they gave it a great flavour. I also added a few more oreos to the filling since I liked it to taste a bit more like the cookies.
Thabk you for your receipes!